Special Section: Ongoing coverage of Gov. Scott Walker's controversial budget-repair bill and the battle over the 2011-'13 state budget

The clock is running for groups trying to collect enough signatures to trigger recall elections against seven Democratic senators, state officials said Thursday.

Reid Magney, spokesman for the Government Accountability Board, said local groups have officially registered recall committees with his agency to try to recall Sen. Bob Wirch of Kenosha and Jim Holperin of Eagle River.

In addition, a Utah group, American Recall Coalition, has registered electronically to set up recall committees against Wirch and five other Senate Democrats - Lena Taylor of Milwaukee, Mark Miller of Monona, Julie Lassa of Stevens Point, Fred Risser of Madison and Dave Hansen of Green Bay.

Magney said his office is still waiting to receive paper registrations from American Recall Coalition but that the out-of-state group may begin collecting signatures for the recall elections in those districts.

"We thought we were going to have a quiet time after the election," Magney said. "Apparently not."

The groups need about 16,000 signatures to force a recall election for a senator, Magney said. The exact number will vary from 11,000 to 21,000 signatures, he said, depending on how many votes were cast in the 2010 governor's race in the targeted district.

All 14 Senate Democrats fled to Illinois last week to prevent their Republican colleagues from being able to push through Gov. Scott Walker's budget-repair bill. That measure would curb collective-bargaining rights for state workers and require them to pay toward their retirement and health care costs.

Democrats and labor unions also are weighing whether to recall up to six Senate Republicans for supporting Walker's plan. Among those being targeted is Sen. Alberta Darling of River Hills.

In addition, Magney said a group has formed a political action fund to collect donations to support a recall election for Walker. But an official recall effort could not start until Walker, who took office last month, has served in the Capitol for at least a year.